


The Past Follows Me

by InsaneandBloody



Category: BioShock
Genre: AU? kind of, Short One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-13
Updated: 2015-11-13
Packaged: 2018-05-01 08:50:00
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 963
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5199668
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/InsaneandBloody/pseuds/InsaneandBloody
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Brigid Tenenbaum has never found another Holocaust survivor in Rapture. Not until now.</p>
<p>(Short AU I did for a friend. Thought I'd send it towards our fandom. :^) )</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Past Follows Me

“Das Wunderkind!”

Brigid Tenenbaum’s blood ran cold at the name, her stride faltering.  
Oh no.

  
~

  
Of course Frank had to make an appearance for the newcomers, and of course he had to have Suchong and her in tow. There were two families that had just descended, and Ryan had made a special appearance to show them the city. One, with two young parents and a small son; the other, a brother and sister, both of European descent. Brigid had not been keen on appearing for the occasion, especially if it was just to watch Ryan seethe with anger. It was meaningless.  
She had followed close behind Fontaine as they arrived, her eyes trained on the marbled floors and her hands busy toying with a cigarette. She did not want to be here, and this was obvious to anyone within a fifty meter radius. Brigid carried a messenger bag slung over one shoulder, containing a few samples of Electro Bolt and Telekinesis, and a small handful of EVE hypos. Fontaine wanted to push his business on to the new residents as quickly as possible. She and Suchong were simply accessories to his speech, showing Ryan the group he had employed, and how he had made such a success in the business, and how “the Kraut found the slug on my dock, after all!”  
They had done a short presentation on how plasmids worked – or, rather, Suchong had. They brought with them a man named J. Norris to demonstrate the plasmids, while Suchong tossed balls, fired guns, and had Norris light Fontaine’s cigar. All of this was very visually pleasing to the families.  
She had briefly noticed, as she flicked her eyes upwards, that the foreign siblings had been murmuring between each other, both very uncomfortable-looking. Brigid simply crossed her arms over her chest and averted her gaze once more, not concerned with their talking. It was not until Fontaine had handed out his business card and begun to walk away with the two scientists that a voice spoke up.

“Das Wunderkind!”

The very mention of the nickname caused Brigid to slow her pace, and she looked over her shoulder with wide eyes. Fontaine seemed to notice her displeasure, and stopped as well. One of the European siblings, the brother, had moved forward from the group, shoulders back and a kindling in his eyes.

“I know of you. 109812, on your arm there. Das Wunderkind.”

Tenenbaum only stared at him, her tongue suddenly very heavy in her mouth.

“The other children in the camps, they have warned us about you! ‘109812, The Death Doctor. If you see her, you will not come back.’ My brother was taken by you and your kind.”

Brigid stiffened, the hand on her bag tightening in to the fabric. She turned back away from the man, walking at a pace she felt was beyond her, sucking in tobacco and nicotine from her cigarette to distract her. She flew into the elevator in the lounge the moment the doors had opened enough for her frame to slide in, leaving her employer in the dust.

  
~

It had been nearly a week since Brigid’s last appearance to the public. She had made sure that she stayed as far from well-populated areas as possible, trailing between her apartment in Mercury Suites and Fontaine Futuristics only. She did not feel safe. Of all of the people Ryan had invited to Rapture, he could not have left them out? It was as if her own past was hot on her heels, threatening to trip her. It was horrifying.  
She had been brave enough to walk through Fontaine’s Department Store, gathering some groceries for her apartment for the upcoming week, when she had passed through a nearby café. It was littered with a few couples, enjoying a pleasant weekend lunch, but was otherwise quite barren. She strode through, her eyes locked on the staircase at the end of the walkway, when she overheard a voice:

“Wunderkind! Wilkommen zurück.” Wonderchild! Welcome back.

Tenenbaum felt her stomach rise in her throat, but she did not stop walking. She was so close…

“Warum rennst du?” Why are you running?  
The voice was approaching her, and Tenenbaum stopped to face it. It was the man, just as before, his face reflecting disgust. She spoke quietly, but firmly. “Warum bist du folgende mich?” Why are you following me?  
“You made my life a living hell. The thought that Herr Ryan would allow filth like you here is horrible.” he hisses, leaning in close to her. “You are no ‘genius.’ You are a child that wanted death so bad, you stay glued to Mengele’s side!”

Brigid’s eyebrows knitted together, a wave of anger passing through her. She knew they were making a scene, she could feel so many sets of eyes on her. She did not care.

“I did not make your life a hell. I have found many ways to survive the unthinkable. This was no exception.” she says lowly, narrowing her eyes. He moved to grab her wrist, and she jerked back.

“Rapture is to be a utopia, yes? It is filled with beauty and talent - and freedom. But you… you do not make this a place of freedom.”

Tenenbaum cannot help herself, and she laughs. The man looked startled. “Freedom? You think that this place – this is freedom to you, yes?” she scoffs. “This is no utopia. You cannot leave Rapture. It is hell beneath water, and nobody else knows of your suffering. You will pay in sweat and blood for a home, and fight for your life for reasons you would not have imagined. This is just a new camp under a new dictator. You are a prisoner here as well, mein Fruend - you are just not wearing stripes.”


End file.
